2020 was a doozy. It was challenging, it was messy, and it was full of unexpected twists and turns. But, throughout the year, many people enjoyed a variety of successes that, no matter how small, were worth noticing. Every small win is a win and every small change makes a difference.

This past year I coached a variety of different clients across the spectrum of corporate hierarchy (from GM and Executive Chef, to D.O. and CEO, and even some roles outside of hospitality), and for a variety of companies (from single to multi-unit and regional to national hospitality brands, and global consulting and media firms.). While every client occupied a diverse position, each discovered some tricks and tips during our sessions that helped him or her find success in their role as leader.

Here’s the greatest hits from 2020: the most impactful takeaways my clients discovered and shared with me this year:

• Successful Meetings: meetings are a source of stress and dissatisfaction for many of my clients. Here’s two of the adjustments that helped them create more confidence and comfort in this essential aspect of the job.

  • Speaking Up: some clients were used to staying quiet during meetings which was impacting their credibility. Taking a moment to speak up and voice their concerns or illuminate an idea was essential to their growth. Speaking up confidently helped them gain more confidence as a contributing member of the leadership team while it established them as filling a vital seat at the table.

  • Positive Body Language: Because meetings are often considered boring and/or intense, these clients often attended meetings exhibiting bored or disengaged body language. Presenting a positive posture helps with the outcome of the meeting; sitting up straight with feet planted firmly on the floor improves your presence at the table, which helps you command the room.

• Note Taking: taking notes was a theme for a number of my clients for a variety of reasons. Here’s two practical reasons that make the case for taking notes:

  • Organizing: For some, taking notes helped them organize their thoughts so they could be more effective and focused in their roles. I find that big-picture thinkers have an abundance of ideas but that the ideas are often more fun than the execution. Writing down your ideas fully helps you capture your thoughts so that you can easily see what is worth spending time on and what is not.

  • Higher Performance: For a particular client, who found himself in back-to-back meetings every day, taking notes helped him stay on top of important topics while it allowed him to reflect on his own process during the meetings themselves. He reported that the impact was great: he has become more effective and confident in his role and this small shift turned him “into a higher performer at work.” Which helped him clinch a significant raise.

• Public Speaking: speaking in front of others is an essential and valuable skill for leaders to build. It takes work, but these small considerations helped my clients gain more confidence in this aspect of their job.

  • S l o w i n g D o w n: I noticed that one of my clients was a very fast talker. Turns out he wasn’t aware of this fact but it made sense when I pointed it out. Rushing through presentations is a common technique that leaders use to manage their anxiety around public speaking; rushing to get to the finish in order to put an end to the anxiety. But this technique doesn’t work. Instead, slowing down actually helped this client calm his nerves and taking pauses helped him ground himself during his presentation. Because his slower delivery was more deliberate and thoughtful he has gained more credibility among his colleagues which added to his overall confidence in his leadership role.

  • Preparation and Practice: for each client that had challenges with presenting this year, prep and practice was the golden ticket for self-improvement. Avoidance appears to push away the nerves but it actually does the opposite: avoidance creates more anxiety. Advance preparation helps to calm anxiety and create confidence. Practice makes for peaceful presentations….100% of the time.

• Being Present: creating space to be fully present with yourself allows you to be more present with your team, colleagues and boss. This is truly the gift that you give yourself, the one that keeps on giving in both an inward and outward direction.

  • Removing Distractions: Many of my clients shared that they are regularly distracted by alerts, reminders and the activity on their various devices. One client remarked: “turning my phone and computer off during meetings was a game changer.” This simple adjustment helped this client remain in the moment which helped him create more clarity for himself and more connection with his colleagues.

  • Deep Breathing: This is universally the most impactful thing that leaders can add to their repertoire and is the hack that most of my clients comment positively upon. Breathing deeply at various times during work - prior to meetings, during a presention, while listening to others - allows you to connect to your elemental self by slowing your heart rate, increasing self-awareness and relaxing your body. This small adjustment is paramount to increasing confidence and connecting authentically to others, and is one of the most simple additions you can include in your leadership toolbox.

I hope you can utilize some of these insights to add to your own leadership approach for 2021. Without a doubt, one of the greatest investments you can make in yourself or in your leaders is coaching. One of my clients shared this simple enthusiasm for his coaching sessions this year: “the ONLY good thing about 2020 was our meetings.” And I can’t help but echo that sentiment: one of the best things about 2020 was my sessions with you all. Thank you and see you in 2021.